[Ads-l] IDGAF

[Ben Zimmer]

Like "IDGAF," "DILLIGAF" can be found in Jesse Sheidlower's _The F-Word_
(4th ed.), with cites back to 1970.

---
1970 Current Slang (vol. 5, no. 1) (Summer) 15: D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. or
DILLIGAF, n. An irresponsible person…. adj. Irresponsible.
1973 S. A. Rowan They Wouldn’t Let Us Die (1974) 27: We had a guy named
Dilligaf -- DILLIGAF -- Do I Look Like I Give A Fuck? And that was his
attitude; so Dilligaf was his name. The favorite [North Vietnamese] guard
of all.
[etc.]
---

Ah, I see JL shared the 1973 cite here in 2009, from the unpublished HDAS
files.

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2009-May/090443.html

--bgz

On Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 1:04 PM Jonathan Lighter <
00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> Related:  DILLIGAF and DILLIGAS.
>
> JL
>
> On Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 11:39 AM Dennis During <
> 00001bcaf94bd005-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > Citations appearing in Wiktionary are unlikely to be the earliest
> citations
> > of the existence of an expression. Each one ought to unambiguously
> support
> > some or all of the definition under which it appears. In addition many
> > citations that are helpful in specifying the meaning of a term are
> > disqualified because they are considered mentions rather than uses. This
> is
> > intended to exclude "dictionary-only" terms, but it also keeps out many
> > dialectal and slang terms, not to mention early reports of usage both
> > spoken and written. I suppose all this means that I shouldn't bother
> > posting such citations, as ADSers on this list are likely to look at
> > Wiktionary for clues without any help from me.
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 15, 2025 at 10:26 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > Interesting topic, JL and Dennis.
> > > Here is a slight improvement to the Wiktionary citation. This citation
> > > points to the same music album.
> > >
> > > Usenet discussion message,
> > > Timestamp: Oct 15, 1993, 1:18:39 PM
> > > Newsgroup: rec.music.misc
> > > From: Gonzo
> > > Subject: RELEASE: Recent and Upcoming Album Releases: 93-41
> > > Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 15, 2025
> > >
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.misc/c/Hf7YZPE_XTI/m/xQ4fP8ie4XkJ
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Date Artist/Group Title
> > > ...
> > > 2 Nov Lyrical Prophets I.D.G.A.F. [RM]
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > The following Usenet message clarifies the interpretation of the
> > > initialism.
> > >
> > > Usenet discussion message,
> > > Timestamp: Nov 6, 1993, 1:29:24 AM
> > > Newsgroup: alt.rap
> > > From: Ryan - MacMichael
> > > Subject: New Lyrical Prophets release ad
> > > Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 15, 2025
> > > https://groups.google.com/g/alt.rap/c/iaEf9ng3pSI/m/Yu2uAch4bcsJ
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > This is Laze from the Lyrical Prophets, and yes -- it's finally here:
> > > the release of our fourth album, "I.D.G.A.F." ("I Don't Give A F...").
> > > We're real excited about this album... lots of PHAT, PHAT, PHAT shit.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > In 1963 a high school student in Newton, Massachusetts presented a
> > > more elaborate initialism without providing an interpretation:
> > > I-D-G-A-F-F-A-A-R-D. I conjecture that this initialism meant: I don't
> > > give a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut.
> > >
> > > Yearbook: 1963 Newtonian
> > > Newton High School, Newton, Massachusetts
> > > Entry for Student: Philip Lawrence Gilman
> > > Quote Page 158, Column 1
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://archive.org/details/newtonian1963newt/page/158/mode/2up?q=%22I.D.G.A.F%22
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > PHILIP LAWRENCE GILMAN 138 Albemarle Rd., Newtonville
> > > ...
> > > Favorite Expression: I-D-G-A-F-F-A-A-R-D (I'll explain).
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > To support of my interpretation I cite Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s 1969 novel
> > > "Slaughterhouse-Five" which included the following closely related
> > > expression: Go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut. The primary
> > > setting of the novel was WWII although the hero was "unstuck in time";
> > > hence, there were multiple settings and time periods.
> > >
> > > Year: 1969 Copyright
> > > Book Title: Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade
> > > Author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
> > > Chapter 6
> > > Quote Page 127
> > > Publisher: A Delta Book: Dell Publishing Company, New York
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > "Go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut," murmured Paul Lazzaro
> > > in his azure nest. "Go take a flying fuck at the moon."
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > In 1933 a publication in North Carolina employed the expression:
> > > flying-leap at a rolling doughnut.
> > >
> > > Date: May 1933
> > > Periodical: The Carolina Buccaneer
> > > Article: The Missing Link
> > > Start Page 23, Quote Page 28, Column 2
> > > Publisher: The Publications Union of the University of North Carolina,
> > > Chapel Hill
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://archive.org/details/carolinabuccanee1019unse/page/28/mode/2up?q=+%22rolling+doughnut%22
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > The fairy god-mother then reluctantly showed me a gopher hole.
> > > Sneezing in embarrassment, I took a flying-leap at a rolling doughnut.
> > > Getting intensely hungry, I took off my shirt and, throwing stones
> > > industriously, I jumped on the back of a galloping goose and went
> > > home.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Dennis C. During
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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